The Hand That Feeds You
by mysticalmauri
Summary: A forbidden romance is put on hold as the kingdom of Hyrule reaches it's demise. A new threat has taken over from the inside. It's up to the princess and her knight to take back the kingdom and not lose themselves in the process. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

A young boy in a green tunic laid peacefully on the grassland. His hands rested behind his head as he rested for the first time in days. His foot rested on his knee. The wind blew his blond hair and clothes to the left. He let out a sigh of relief.

In this moment, he didn't have any worries. He wasn't worried about where his next meal would come from or where he would sleep tonight. Sleeping in the spot he was would've been just fine. Little did he know, his peaceful rest was about to be interrupted.

The sound of several pairs of feet hitting the ground rapidly filled his ears. A distressed cry for help, seemingly from a young lady, caused him to jump up. He looked in the direction of the commotion, startled at what he saw. It was indeed a young lady in distress. She was running from a few men that were dressed similarly to bandits. They were right on her tail with swords in their hands ready to strike her.

Link had no idea what was going on, but something told him to defend her. He unsheathed his sword and ran towards them. She didn't seem to see him as she ran passed him, eyes blurry with tears. He quickly side stepped in between her and the men and knocked them of their feet with a quick strike. They yelled in agony and grabbed their wounded legs.

He pointed the sword at one of the bandit's noses and narrowed his eyes. "What do you want with her?" He asked.

The man spit at him. Link frowned and sheathed his sword. When he turned around, the girl was headed towards him grasping a knife. He grabbed her wrists, narrowly stopping her from stabbing him. His heart began to race. "Woah, im here to help! I wont harm you."

The young lady loosened her grip on the knife and dropped to her knees. She looked straight ahead with hollow eyes as she sobbed. Link kneeled down on one knee and got a closer look at her. Her purple dress was dirty and torn. It was once beautiful and seemed to be made of an expensive fabric. Her golden locks still somehow fell perfectly near her waist. A golden crown adorned her head.

Link's eyes widened in realization. It all made sense. The bandits, the crown, the hollow eyes. She'd been missing for several days. The entire kingdom of Hyrule was in a panic, searching for her day and night. The king wouldn't rest until his daughter was found. "P-princess Zelda?"

She wiped her cheek and nodded, although she couldn't see him. She was born without sight. He scanned the field around him before his eyes landed back on her. How on Earth did she end up near Kakariko Village? The castle was many moons away. As important as it was to get her back to her father, it would be irresponsible and dangerous to head there before sunrise. The princess probably couldn't get far in her current condition.

Link wrapped his arm around her waist and slowly guided her up. They began to walk to the village which wasn't to far away. For the first time, Link noticed that the princess was slightly limping. He frowned and glanced b ack at the bandits venomously. They were gone. He scooped the princess up in his arms in one swift motion. She didn't protest as she was exhausted.

Despite the layers of clothes she had on, he could tell that she hadn't eaten in quite a while. She was only a year younger than him, but she was far too light for a 12 year old girl. He swiftly walked to the village so that her wounds could be tended to.

Upon his arrival, there was a small uproar. The villagers whispered amongst themselves and scurried to find the village Elder. Two Sheikah warriors approached within a minute of entering the village. Their eyes widened in surprise at the wounded princess. "The princess! Send someone to alert the King at once!" One of the warriors yelled at the other. He nodded and vanished quickly.

The remaining warrior beckoned for Link to follow into a house. It was one of the larger homes in the village. Once inside, they turned a corner into a recovery room. Two healers were tending to a man's bandages but when they looked over and saw the princess in Link's arms, they gasped and finished quickly, rushing towards them. Link barely had time to blink before the princess was no longer in his arms and he was being told to leave quickly so that they could work. Her faint rosy scent still lingered under his nose.

He was pulled aside by the Sheikah warrior from earlier, Impa. Her eyes were filled with concern and soon filled with rage as he explained how she was found. She nodded with her eyes closed. "We must go with her once the royal guards arrive." She said once she'd calmed.

It was an odd statement to Link. Of course he was going but why her? By her reaction, she seemed to have ties to the Hylian princess. Nonetheless, he agreed. She escorted him to a cabin where he was to rest until dawn. He managed to drift off for a few minutes, but he was to worried to fully sleep. He waited a few hours before he went to check on her. When he peaked into the room, he sighed in relief. Her wounds were clean, and her arm was bandaged up. She appeared to be fine and resting otherwise. He returned back to the cabin and slept soundly for a few hours until the sun rose.

Morning came quicker than Link expected. He walked out of the cabin just as the sun was beginning to rise. He looked around at the many royal guards that traveled overnight to get there. There was one horse with gold plated armor that was clearly meant for the princess herself to mount. Link pushed past the guards to the entrance where Zelda rested. Much to his surprise, she was sitting up with a wool blanket wrapped around her, sipping a cup of tea. Her cheeks and nose were rosy as if she were catching a cold. She looked in the direction that Link was, having heard him enter.

"You're the one that saved me?" She asked softly. Her voice made Link's heart flutter. It reminded him of a singing dove. He confirmed her assumption to be true.

"What is your name?" The two medics that were checking her bandaged arm and wounds suddenly became very interested in their conversation. They looked at him as he answered. "I am Link."

Every pair of eyes in the room widened, including the princess'. "Link? Of the Legend?" She near whispered. Link's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What legend?

One of the royal guards interrupted before he could ask any questions. "We will be off soon, Princess."

Princess Zelda rose with the help of the medics and was escorted out to her horse. The guard glanced over at Link. "The king has requested you as well. Come."

It was expected, so Link followed without a word. He quickly called his own horse as the man, who Link assumed was the lead knight, mounted the white horse and helped the tiny princess onto it. Link barely had time to mount his horse, Epona, before they were all on their hasty journey back to Hyrule.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of hooves thundering against the ground alerted several Hylians on the way to the castle. A beautiful lavender cloak adorned Zelda's body, shielding her from peering eyes. It was obvious that it was her if you asked Link. The knight escorting her called for all of them to halt. Link hadn't noticed that Impa was with them until she jumped off of her horse and was at the princess' side in seconds. She pulled down her hood and began fanning her, yelling for someone to fetch a drink of water.

Link was getting off his horse when a guard handed her a container of water. They were the royal guard after all; they had to be prepared for anything. He waited patiently as the princess was tended to by Impa and two other guards. They treated her as if she were a small child of utmost importance. It was treatment Link never received in his lonely life.

They continued their journey after the princess seemed well enough to continue. It wasn't long before they approached the massive stone castle. Link looked on in awe as they traveled from the side of the castle to the entrance. There was a lake surrounding the castle that could rival the ocean, it seemed. No one in their right mind would dare try to swim it. It was wide, and it looked deep. Creatures of all kinds could be residing in the water ready for a quick meal.

Once they reached what seemed to be the entrance, everyone got off their horses. Link did the same, but he looked on in confusion. How were they to get to the door if there was the lake?

Surely, they didn't expect them to swim?

Link's questions were answered as the ground rumbled beneath them. He looked around in a slight panic at the calm guards around him. He looked up at the massive castle door and realized that the door itself was their way inside. It dropped with a thunderous thud onto the ground in front of them. Chains were attached to it so that it could be retracted once more.

Impa helped the small princess off her horse, and a guard rounded up all the horses. The rest of them journeyed inside of Hyrule Castle. Their footsteps collectively resounded on the marble floors. Link looked around in awe at the pillars and artwork inside of the castle. He'd never been less than 50 miles away from the castle. Now, he was _inside_ of it.

They entered the throne room and presented Zelda to the distraught looking King Rhoam. He nearly jumped out of his chair when he saw them approaching. He got down on one knee to get eye level with her as he embraced her. "Zelda! My precious Zelda! I'm so sorry that I let those _savages _take you away."

King Rhoam said the word so venomously that Link flinched. The king felt her cheeks and quickly examined her wounded body. He motioned for the medic that seemed to be waiting on them to take her and tend to her wounds. He murmured something quietly to Zelda, most likely saying that he would be with her shortly. The healer took her away, and the king quickly turned his attention to Link. His entire demeanor changed as he stood tall and held his head high.

Link was very intimidated, so he stood tall and tried to keep eye contact with the large man. "It was you that saved my daughter?" Link swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

King Rhoam stared at him for a moment before turning around and heading back to his throne. With his back turned, he asked, "Tell me. What is your name, hero?"

Link was quite flattered that the king referred to him as 'hero', "My name is Link, Sir."

The king paused as he was halfway in his seat. He sat down and stared at Link for a moment, causing the young boy to begin to sweat nervously. "You saved my daughter's life, Link. I am in your debt. How can I repay you for your noble deed?"

The opportunity for an open request caught Link completely off guard. He could ask for anything. Rupees, jewels…a home. "I am alone, Sir. I don't have family…or a home. Somewhere that I can lay my head at night is all I need. I didn't save your daughter for personal gain but.." Link hung his head.

The room fell silent. With a wave of his hand, the king told everyone to leave. Once they exited the room, he spoke again. "Well, Link. I have a proposition. If you agree to be my daughter's personal knight, the castle is your new home. Shall you decline, I will arrange for a home to be built in the village in your honor."

If Link weren't surprised at his good fortune before, he was now. His own home built, or he could live inside of the castle? His luck was out of this world. He silently debated on which choice he would make. He could have his own home and have no responsibilities, and no one telling him what to do. Or he could watch after the beautiful and vulnerable princess and help her learn to defend herself. As he thought of her, her rosy scent seemed to return to him, drawing him to her. Link wanted to be around her more and if he left the castle today, he'd probably never see her again.

"If you need some time..." The king began.

Link shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I have made a decision."


End file.
